2008-04-27

wait..wait... it's not real la ... yesterday (saturday April 26) , KK held an activity called Freedom of Entry to The City . Opening ceremony start early in the morning at Padang Merdeka.Kota Kinabalu City Mayor Datuk Illiyas Ibrahim handed over the Freedom of Entry scroll to the RMN Region II commander Laksamana Pertama Syed Zahiruddin Putra Syed Osman during a colourful ceremony that was held for a second consecutive year ( aiyak, i didn't know la last year).

Navies from Brunei , USA and France are also participate in the ceremony. There was also a demonstration by the Malaysian navy’s CB90 as well as the Super Lynx and Fennec helicopters.

--History--The “Freedom of Entry Ceremony” is an old Naval Tradition that began during the medieval times, where the City or town council confers the right of the “Navy” to march with “Swords drawn, drums beating, band playing, colours flying and bayonets fixed”. The right to march through is usually conferred with a “Scroll” by the Lord Mayor. The ‘Scroll’ will then allow the Navy to exercise its newly conferred right to march through the city. The Colours are of great significance to each and every sailor, representing the central rallying point in battle in the event that they are separated from their colleagues during the melee. This tradition signifies the true bonds of friendship, and often the expectation that the Navy whom the honour was bestowed upon would assist in the defence of the City. The Navy is then bound to protect the city from any invasion or attack